Travel Nationally, Eat locally

Resolving to travel and explore new places more frequently in the upcoming year is a popular resolution. As you might expect, I would suggest eating locally when doing so but let’s add another layer: eating the most commonly produced foods from a region. Local is local is local, so why bother, you ask? Simply not true. Though local is important, regions become known for having soil and climate particularly conducive to growing, raising or harvesting particular foods. So, don’t just eat what’s locally available, eat what’s locally cherished.

There are, of course, many more local foods than those on this list – check out your local farmers market to determine which foods are seasonally available. But you can use this post as an informal U.S. food travel guide for speciality items – and please share any particularly delicious dishes (and where you had them) in the comment section below!

Alabama – blackberries, peaches

Alaska – seafood (extra points and 50 gold stars to AK for fishing the greatest amount of seafood in the country yet having zero overfished species)